Coronavirus pandemic led to closure of many shoemaking enterprises of the City of Marikina, from around 7,000 manufacturers before the global health crisis to only 3,000 now
— City Mayor Marcy R. Teodoro, Marikina, Metro Manila
By EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN – SciTech and Digital News
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(SDN) — Shoes made in Marikina City enjoy quite a popularity among Filipinos for its durability, among other characteristics.
That’s the reason the Metro Manila city had come to be dubbed the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines”. And rightly so!
If you have a pair of shoes marked “Made in Marikina”, then chances are you know quality.
But as in all kinds of business in the country, nay, in the whole world, shoe making in the city has taken a serious hit in the time of the pandemic — from December 2019 to present day.
Before the global coronavirus health crisis broke out, Marikina’s manufacturers of shoes — bags, belts, etc. — had many manufacturing shops. But this had decreased a lot.
Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro told journalists who paid a courtesy call on him at his City Hall Office on November 24, 2022, the worldwide health crisis had made a big dent on the number of the city’s makers of shoes.
The PAMAMARISAN-Rizal Press Corps paid a courtesy call on the mayor who, in turn administered the group’s oath taking. Covering the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina, San Juan, and the province of Rizal, the group had their first oath taking on October 21 before Benjamin Abalos, Sr., the returning mayor of Mandaluyong City.
Teodoro, apparently, feels sad for the city’s shoemakers, as he fielded questions from his media visitors.
One of the questions thrown at him was, “How many registered shoe manufacturers now?” His reply showed his compassion for his constituents.
“Konti na lang, parang 3,000 na lang. Dati nasa 6,000 o 7,000,” the mayor pointed out. (It’s only 3,000 now. Before, it was around 6,000 to 7,000.)” Sadness was evident in his voice.
There were really many who closed down their shop shops, he added.
This is the reason the mayor is offering incentives for those who will set up shops, even those already had a manufacturing shop before but closed down because of the pandemic.
Worldwide, the pandemic which has its Ground Zero in Wuhan City, Province of Hubei, China, had and continued to affect all aspects of life — from the mundane to the more pressing ones. Business and government operation, travel, school, even going to the market got a hit as lockdowns and quarantines at the peak of the health crisis made public places mostly ghost towns.
Even consulting one’s family doctor had metamorphosed into an online or virtual visit. Work at home, or hybrid arrangements — in-person and online activities became the new normal. You can’t go out unless you had your government-authorized ID during the lockdowns.
No wonder that business, many of them stood still while many had to stop operation altogether.
“Those who will open a shoe making shop, we have a 100 percent tax-free incentive for the first year. On the second year, it will be 50 percent discount to encourage them,” said Teodoro.
“There are those who are really interested. For example, those who had shops before, then business became a struggle, so they closed down because of the pandemic.”
Only condition for free space rental at Shoe Bazaar: only local or Marikina made products
If they want to open their shops again their classification falls under new shops, so they will qualify for the 100 percent tax-free incentive to ease up their burden, he assured.
Teodoro hastened to point out that those shops that stopped operation were the small ones, whose capitalization were below Php100 million. The medium-sized businesses.
Figures from Statista.com show that in 2020, MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) was at 99.5 percent of the Philippines’ total enterprises.
The mayor of Marikina said none of the big enterprises closed down, only the medium-sized ones with less than Php100 million in capital. He promised assistance for those who lost their jobs.
“We are truly sad for the shoemakers that closed shops. Of course, the most affected were the workers. That is why who we are truly propping up are those who are lost their jobs,” the mayor said.
In relation with this, Teodoro’s Marikina City has again staged its Shoe Bazaar, the site in front of the City Hall. It’s an event that showcases the creativity of the citizens of Marikina City.
“I gave for free (to exhibitors) the space rental this year. Even the things they are using for their stalls. 100 percent free. I will pay for it myself.
“And when we opened the Shoe Bazaar last week, Congresswoman Maan Teodoro proposed that the space rental would be free forever, which is what the shoemakers asked for.
“The only condition we asked them is that they only sell local made, or Marikina made, not those imported. So that their products will be able to help generate jobs. We expect that by next week the (City) Council will be able to approve another of Congresswoman Maan’s proposal, which is to stage the Shoe Bazaar twice a year. So, when classes open in June next year, we will have a Shoe Bazaar. Our Shoe Bazaar will then be held every June and December.”
For 2022, the Shoe Bazaar opened on November 14 and closes on January 14, 2023. It has some 42 participating shoemakers/shops for shoes, bags, belts, among other leather products.
(Congresswoman Marjorie “Maan” Teodoro is the mayor’s wife. She represents District 1 of the city.)
As a product of its popular shoe industry, Marikina has been known as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines; it is the country’s biggest shoe manufacturer, creating around 70 percent of shoes made in the Philippines. It has a Shoe Museum and boasts also of the Philippine International Footwear Center (PIFC), based on Wikipedia information. (/)